The Impact of Covid-19 Restrictions on LGBTI+ Young People in Ireland.
As Covid-19 spread across Ireland, we wanted to understand the impact on LGBTI+ young people and learn how to best support this group during an unprecedented period in history. We conducted LGBTI+ Life in Lockdown, a mixed method research study in May 2020 and launched the report in June. We held a number of briefing sessions with politicians, funders, and corporate supporters to share the report’s findings and rally support as we rapidly adapted to meet the emerging needs of LGBTI+ young people during this time. We spoke to almost 300 LGBTI+ young people across Ireland through an online survey, and they told us about their struggles with anxiety, stress, and depression during lockdown. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, research highlighted the mental health struggles experienced by LGBTI+ young people in Ireland. This reality was compounded since the Covid-19 pandemic began as LGBTI+ young people experienced a loss of access to the spaces and supports they relied on for their wellbeing. The survey highlights that 93% of LGBTI+ young people were struggling with anxiety, stress, or depression during the Covid-19 restrictions, compared to 53% of the general youth population named in the Young Social Innovators Covid-19 Youth ‘Check In’ Survey 2020. The report findings helped us to quickly and innovatively respond to meet the needs of LGBTI+ young people during Covid-19. It was a helpful tool to share with supporters, stakeholders, funders, and members of the Government to highlight the impact of Covid-19 on LGBTI+ young people as the crisis unfolded.